The Sedgwick Theater is a historic American theater in the Mt. Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
It was built in 1928 and designed by architect William Harold Lee. It is one of the remaining 20 Philadelphia theaters as of 2006[update] which he designed; nine have been demolished. Only two in Philadelphia are open – The Ace Theater (Holiday Art Theater) and The Sedgwick Theater. Two more of Lee's theaters just outside of Philadelphia have been restored: the Bryn Mawr and the Hiway Theater in Jenkintown.
The Sedgwick Theater, located at 7137 Germantown Ave in Philadelphia, is designed in the 1920s style of an art deco movie palace. It was built during a movie revolution with the advent of sync sound and hosted silent films as well as talkies. This perhaps explains the theater's design including a stage for live performance, as well as its large single screen.
The Sedgwick was designed to include a balcony, but shortly before construction, it was removed from the plans (a balcony would likely have increased seating to 2000). This accounts for its vaulted ceilings.